Loose-leaf binder



E. C. MOORE.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED 1 58.28, 1918.

Patented Jan. 17,1922.

INVENTOR. Z? ZGCMQZB WTTORNEYS.

IVI'I'NESSES:

E. c. MOORE. LOOSE LEAF BINDER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28,1918.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- l I! vllllllllia. r

INVENTOR.

BY ATTORNEYS.

WITNESS y E. C. MOORE.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. 1918.

1 ,408,61 6, Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

I 6W WITNESSE: 1Z6 0026 a wmm BY.

I ATTORNEYS.

E. C. MOORE.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-28,1918.

.1 403 1 Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

l 1 6w l 46 i l 4- W$ 1'4 INVENTOR.

L'cCMZOZE I f, ,BY QM 4 I ATTORNEYS- UNITED STATES ERIC C. MOORE, 6F RDCHESZER, NEVJ YORK.

noosnnnsn Specification of Letters Patent.

ited J an. 17, 1922.

Application filed. February 28,. 1918. Serial No. 218,615.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Euro C. Moons, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York have invented certain new and useful improvements in Loose-Lear" Binders; and i do hereby declare th following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this sueciti ation, and to the reference-nu merals marked thereon.

'1 present invention relates to stationery and more particularly to loose leaf ledgers or binders and it has for its object to provide an in )roved device of this character in which all of the sheets or leaves may be locked or unlocked quickly and with a simple movement. Other objects of the invention are to enable the same locking means to be used for offsetting selected sheets from the others when desired and to provide lilC-"llS for holning the binder members seped while the leaves are being applied. or removed. The invention also contemplates the use of novel sheet or leaf in the binder. To these a -d other ends tne invention resides in certain improvements and combinations oi? 1 arts all as will be hereinafter more fully dos ribed, the novel features being pointed owin the claims at the end of the specifidrawings l s tmnsverse sectional and frag- U rougl binder constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section in the general plane of the leaf r taining posts; 7

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section of one of the binding elements with the cover of its casing removed;

Figure is a bottom plan view of the other element with part of the overlying mechanism removed;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 55 of Figure 2 and loci:- ing in the direction of the arrow;

l igure 6 is an enlarged transverse section through the binding elements taken on the line of Figures and i;

igure T is a longitudinal sectional view through the binder similar to Figure 2 but showing a complete device and with the parts moved to different positions;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 3 but with the parts in other positions;

Figure 9 is fragmentary view of one of the binder leaves;

nigure 10 is a longitudinal sectional view 111 the plane of the posts through another embodiment or the invention;

Figure 11 is a plan view partly broken away and partly in section of one of the binding members of Figure 10 with the top of its casing removed;

Figure 12 is a sectional view through the posts but showing the rest of the binder in top plan view parts being broken away to illustrate the manner in which the leaves are locked in the embodiment of Figures 10 and 11;

Figures 13 and 1e are substantially diagrammatic views showing the manner in which selected leaves are oifset in the binder: and i v Fig. 1 is detail section on line 15 15 of Figure 10.

Similar eterence numerals throughout the the several views indicate the same parts.

neferring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 9, the binder comprises two binding or compression elements indicated generally at A and B between which the leaves are compressed in the usual general relationship and while these binder elements are movable toward and from each other to clamp or relase the eaves l shall refer to the element A as the base member and to element B as the clamping element. The two covers of the binder l are hinged at 2 to the respective members and are shown in full and dotted line positions in Figure l to illustrate their relationship w ran the hinder or ledger is closed and when it is open, respectively.

The base member A embodies a sheet metal casing composed of overlapping upper and lower channels 8 and l oined at the ends by cast plugs 55, lliveted or otherwise suitably secured in the lower portion 4, as shown in 'l igure '7, are pair of inner fixed posts 6 that project from the top of the base suiticiently to provide a binder of desired capacity. Enclosed within the base *asing just beneath the top are a pair of sliding plates 7 guided in grooves or ways 8 (Figures 4 and 7) in the castings 5. its the mechanism about to be described is duplicated at' the two ends of he base, it will be describes that will hereinafter appear.

The clamping member B 18 alsoformed t .in the singular as applying to either unit.

Secured to the plates 7 is a post 8 which is one of a pair of outer movable posts that may be operated toward and from the posts 6 and that moves in a slot 9 in the top 3 of the basecasing. The plate 7 is itself provided with a slot 10 to accommodate the ad jacent fixed post 6 and is connected by a link 11 to acrank disc 12 having bearings formed by the sides or the casing member 3 and by ears 13 struck down from the ma terial oi the latter. In the present instance, the link is pivoted to the respective parts b 'having its ends bent up at 14 to engage apertures 15 and 16 therein. A plate 17 supported on lugs 18 (Figure 6) struck from the channel 3 holds the parts assembled. A key 19 having a flattened face 20 fits an irregular opening in the center of the disc or crank plate 1.2 and serves as an operating member to actuate the slides 7 and carry the outer movable posts 8 toward and from the inner pair of fixed plates 6 between the locked position of Figures 7 and 8 and the unlocked position 01" Figures 2, 3 and One oi. the links 11 may have an extension 21 that will interlock with a slot 22 in the end of the key when the posts are unlocked to prevent the key from being withdrawn while the binder is in that condition for a purpose two overlapping channels 23 and 24 plugged at the ends by castings 25 and constituting a casing. Within the casing are confined friction clutch plates 26 that tilt on fulcrums formed by cars 27 thereon seated in apertures 28 in the lower channel member 23 and which clutch plates surround and are normally held locked against the fixed post 6 to prevent the clamping member B from moving away from the base member A by the ends of a leaf spring 29. This leaf spring has lugsBO seated in notches in the channel men'r ber23 in which notches it is held by inturned lugs ,31 on the sides of the channel. Sliding plates 82 disposed against the bottom of the channel member 23 and guided in grooves '33 in the castings 25 have openings 34 to giro clearance for the clutches 26 and adjacent cam flanges 35 which, when the plates are moved outwardlyor in opposite directions, engage under the free ends of the clutches 26 and force them to inoperativeposition against the tension of the spring arms 29., allowing the posts 6 to slide freely through the clamping member B. Con- I tinned outward morement 01" the plates causes clamps or locking levers 36 thereon surrounding the movable posts 8 to grip the latter and thus hold the clamping member B from moving toward the base member A. This results from arms 37 on the locking levers 36 engaging with cams 38 on extensions of the castings 25.

ii for the key 19.

The sliding plates 32, like the plates 7, constitute actuating mechanism tor separating and for drawing together the movable posts 8 which pass through these plates and the two sets of plates on the members and B act simultaneously under the operation oi the same key 19. -This key passes through the clamping member B and spr plate 29 and through a crank disc 39 so ilar to the crank disc 12 and supported the same manner by ears 40 and plate it also similarly connected'to the plates 82 by lin s 42. When the key 19 is turned in one eirection, therefore both mechanisms operate to move the posts 8 from the leaf re 7 iing position of Figures 7 and 8 to the i erative positionof Figures 2 and 3, the clutches 26 being released to permit the clamping member 13 to be drawn out on the posts and release ledger leaves held between the members A. and B. A further movement of the key loci-1s clamping memberl? on the posts 8, preventing it from slipping down towar the base 1 her A. Movement of the k in the A direction draws the posts 8 together or 90 ward the fixed post 6; releases the lock 236 so that theclamping member 5 n y be to ed down to pinch the leaves between and base member A, and releases the clutch in each instance so thatit will automatic ly 95 engage and prevent retrogra i in the part of the clamping ii ember. locks the leaves in the binder both by compression and otherwise, due to th oarticnlar conformation of the leaves then i The binding margin of one of the lQGI. is shown in Figure 9. It has center 13 to accommodate the key 19 and 0 side thereof a slot 44. at right engi edge of the leaf to receive the :5 6. Beyond these slots 44 are two elbow l6 which in the instance shown. open so. laterally and longitudinally of the leaf. binder members providing a loch. tion 17. 'lherefore whenthe movable 8 are spread, the sheet or leaf? serted in its true position between ing members A and B being centered on the fixed posts 6 through the med m of the slots 44. WVhen thereafter the posts 8 drawn 1 together again, they occupy the inner ends of the elbow slots 46 behind the lock-in non locked securely together and gs single movement of the key 19.

The locking device 20 inthe base previously is operative only when the post spread to release the leaves and members A and B to be separated and it i vents the withdrawal of the clampi. her 13 from pulling the key out of posit In the embodiment ot the invention shown in Figures to inclusive, the formation of the binding members A and B is approximately the same but the movable posts 8 constitute the inner pair and the fixed posts 6 constitute the outer pair. The mechanism in the clamping member B for actuating the posts comprises plates 32 and 3E, hav' slots 48 in their a proximate overlapping ends guided on a pivot stud 49. Ears 5O struck out from the plate in forming a slotol for the key 19 provide bearings on the plate for an eccentric This eccentric also has a collar defining its moving center that has a bearing in a collar 54 in the channel'niember 23- of the casing and the collar 53 is formed to receive the key 19 and is irregular to lock against its face 20 This eccentric provides means for moving the plate 33 in two directions and opposite movement is communicated to the plate through a lever piv-. oted on the stud 49. An arm of this lever bears in a notch 51' in the plate 3 on one side of the pivotal center and arm 58 thereon bears in a notch 59 in the plate 32 on the opposite side of the pivotal center.

Clutches 26 cooperate with the fixed outer posts 6 under the influence ofindividual leaf springs 27. These clutches tilt on lugs 60 on the channel member and are held in position by other lugs 61. Cain flanges on the plates 32 and 33 unseat the clutches when the posts are separated and the clamping levers 36 that surround and cooperate with the posts and are pivoted at 62 thereafter become operative by reason of arms 3? thereon engaging pins or abutnients fixed the channel member T he action of the mechanism in the clamp member 13 of this embodiment thereore substantially the same. The movable )ost-s S extend through the plates and and are actuated by them.

he mechanism in the base member A in this second embodiment of the invention for:

actuating the movable posts 8 is substantially the same as that employed in the clamping number of the same embodiment and has therefore been shown only in section and does not require extended description. The sliding plate to which the posts 8 are riveted are indicated at 7; the eccentric at 5:; the double lever arm at and its pivot stud at 49. The fixed posts (3 are secured to the bottom channel member 4 of the base as before. but at end positions instead of intermediate positions, as previously explained.

The leaf blanks used in this embodiment are shown in Figures 13 and 14 in locked and unlocked positions, respectively. in each instance, the leaf marked C is normal and the one mar ed D is offset. Each leaf has a center slot 3 to accommodate the key 19 in the form of a double elbow having the portions 43 extending therefrom longitudinally of the sheet. On each side of it is a pair of elbow slots 44 and 46 opening transversely to the edge of the sheet and in which the longitudinally extending portions of each pair extend toward the center and toward those of the other pair, locking shoulders 47, 47*, 47. 47, 47 and 47 being provided in each instance, there being two, 47 and 47 on the center slot 43. When this leaf is inserted in the unlocked binder, as in Figure 14, it is centered by the engagenient of the various posts with the oppositely disposed straight walls of the slots and as the movable posts 8 are drawn together, they loclr behind the shoulders 47'' and 47 as shown in Figure 13, the sheet C in this case being in normal position. If it is desired to offset the sheet, as at D, toward the top of the hinder, the lower fixed post 6" becomes idle and the upper slot 44 becomes idle. One of the movable inner posts, 8

, locks behind the locking shoulder 47 of the sheet and the other one behind the locking shoulder 47 of the key slot 43 the key be ing accommodated in theupper one of the lower pair of slots 46; The posts therefore lock in the same manner in either position of the leaf, there being always two properly turned and properly spaced elbow slots for the reception of these inner movable posts. The sheet may obviously be ofiset toward the b ttoin instead of toward the top, if desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a loose leaf hinder, the combination with a base member, of a pair of leaf-retaining posts fixed thereon and a pair of. leafretaining posts movable thereon toward and from each other.

2. In a loose leaf binder, the combination with a base member, of a pair of outer leafretaining posts fixed thereon and a pair of inner leaf-retaining posts arranged intermediate the units of the first mentioned pair and movably mounted on the base to move toward and from each other.

3. In a'loose leaf binder, the combination with a base member, a pair of outer leafretaining posts fixed thereon and a pair of inner leaf-retaining posts arranged intermediate the units of the first mentioned pair and movably mounted on the base to move toward and from each other, of a leaf hav ing inner and outer pairs of elbow slots to receive the posts, the units of each pair having their inner ends extending toward each other.

4. In a loose leaf binder, the combination with a base member and a pair of relatively movable leaf-retaining posts mounted thereon, of a leaf having three or more elbow slots to receive theposts, and permit their movement, the said slotsbeing equally spaced to permit the posts to lock with different pairs of them and hold the leaf in different relatively offset positions.

5. In a loose leaf binder, the combination with a base member and a clamping member, 01 leaf-re.,.aining posts mounted for relative movement on the base member and extending slidably through the clamping member, and means on the latter for actuating the posts.

(3. In a loose leatt binder, the combination with a base member and a clamping member, of leaf-retaining posts mounted for relative movement on the base member and extending slidably through i the clamping member,

F means on both the base and the clamping member for actuating the posts and a common operating device for both oi? said means.

7. In loose leaf hinder, the combination with a base member and a clamping member, of leaf-retaining posts mounted for relative movement on the base member and extend ing slidably through the clamping; member, means on both the"base and the clamping member for actuating the posts and a common operating device for both of said means,

comprising a key extending through the clam nng member and into the base iii-ember and upon which the former is slidable.

8. In a loose leaf hinder, the combination with a base member having leaf-retaining posts thereon and a clamping member slidable on the posts toward and from the base member, oi": a clutch cooperating with one post to hold the clamping member against leaves inserted between the members, a lockingr device cooperating with another post to prevent the members from moving toward each other and common actuating mechanism for releasingthe clutch and for engaging the lei-hing device.

9. In a loose-leaf hinder, the combination with a base member having fixed leaf-retain ing posts thereon and also movable leafretaining posts movable toward and from the fixed posts, anda clamping member slidable on the posts toward and from the base member, oi. a clutch cooperating with the fixed posts to hold the clamping member against leaves inserted between the members, locking devices cooperating with the movable posts to hold the members separated, and common actuatingmechanism for the movable posts, for releasing the clutch and for. engaging he locking device.

10. In a loose leaf hinder, the combination 'ith a base member having fixed leal ret ining posts thereon and also movable leaf-retaining posts movable toward and from the fixed posts, and a clamping member slidable on the posts toward and lirointhe base meniher, and having abutments thereon, of an automatic tilting clutch cooperating; with the fixed posts to hold the clamping m mber against leaves inserted between the nieinbers, a sliding element on the clamping member for actuating the movable posts and provided with cams for relea ing the clutches and locking levers pivoted on the r sliding element and actuated through contact with the abutments to cooperate with the movable posts and hold the members separated.

11. A leaf blank for loose leaf binders having its bindingedge provided with two pairs of elbow slots each adapted to admit a binding post against the side of which the sheet is acvanced ed 'ewise, said slots being; equi-distantly spaced from each other, and two adjoining slots of one pair extending); inwardly from the edge oi the lean; nd thence toward the other pair which latter extend inwardly from the edge of the leaf and thence toward the first pair.

ERIC G. MOORE.

lVitness RUSSELL l3. GRIFFITH. 

